HEINEKEN CUP, Pool Three
Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea Date: Saturday, 24 January Kick-off: 1730 GMT Coverage: Live on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, Radio Wales & online

Ian Gough says Ospreys players expect their fans to 'perform'

Ospreys lock Ian Gough has predicted their do-or-die Heineken Cup clash against Leicester at Liberty Stadium on Saturday will be a "slug-fest".

Gough says he and his team-mates aspire to earning the sort of reputation the Tigers have gained in Europe.

He said: "We just want to keep going and going and going and seeing exactly what we can rack up... and trying to stop them doing the same."

He added: "We want... the reputation as Ospreys up to the same level."

The Ospreys are hoping for a 20,000 sell-out and expect home fans to give Leicester the sort of reception the Welsh region received when they lost 12-6 at Welford Road in October.

606: DEBATE Can the Ospreys reach the quarter-finals?

"This is what it's all about," Gough told Scrum V. "We've got a great stage here in this region.

"It's looking like we're going to get that stage and the audience absolutely to capacity and breaking against one of the best teams in Europe and all to play for."

He added: "Their fans were brilliant that day [in October]. They create a lot of noise and as players here, as we're expected to perform, our players are really expecting our fans to perform this weekend.

"We're expecting them to come with a great attitude and a great will to sort of sing and chant and get that atmosphere up to where it should be, just to prove to these Leicester guys who are coming down, when they are on their way home, back across the M4, 'hey that was an experience, huh'.

"It's a group match, but it's a cup match because this is a knock-out game this weekend.

"They've been there and done it in the past and know how it's done and they know the feeling and they know how it takes to get there.

"They're a pretty streetwise side. They push the boundaries of everything and that'll be done on the weekend so we are definitely not writing them off and we're definitely not thinking this is an easy game."

Both teams can reach the quarter-finals amid numerous mathematical connotations at this stage of the competition.

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